[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 174 (Thursday, September 9, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54627-54629]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-20367]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Centennial Salvage Timber Sale; Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 
Fremont and Clark Counties, ID

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Supervisor of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest 
gives notice of the agency's intent to prepare an environmental impact 
statement for the Centennial Salvage Timber Sale. The project area is 
located in the Centennial Mountains twenty-eight miles north of Ashton, 
Idaho. Information gathered from forest health specialist assessments, 
field and remote sensing reconnaissance, and the 1997 Targhee National 
Forest Revised Forest Plan, identified several concerns within the 
Douglas-fir, aspen, and whitebark pine forest community types within 
the Centennial Salvage Timber Sale project area. These concerns 
include: A large amount of forest stands moderately to highly 
susceptible to the Douglas-fir beetle and western spruce budworm; large 
areas of tree mortality due to the Douglas-fir beetle; and the decline 
of aspen and whitebark pine forest communities. The Ashton/Island Park 
Ranger District proposes to use intermediate commercial treatments on 
approximately 5,210 acres on forest stands that are moderately to 
highly susceptible to Douglas-fir beetle and western spruce budworm and 
prescribed fire on 718 acres of high elevation forest where whitebar 
pine is present. Intermediate commercial treatments include the 
following silvicultural methods: Commercial thinning, sanitation, 
salvage, and improvement cutting treatments. Commercial thinning, 
sanitation, salvage, and improvement cuttings would be used separately 
or in combination with each other, to reduce the risk and 
susceptibility to Douglas-fir beetle and western spruce budworm, 
recover economic value of dead and dying trees, and maintain and 
enhance aspen. Yarding systems for commercial harvest would use ground 
based logging equipment (tractors, rubber tired skidders, etc.). 
Prescribed fire would be used to remove encroaching shade tolerant 
conifers and stimulate natural regeneration of whitebark pine and 
aspen. Approximately 19.7 miles of existing Forest Service system roads 
and 38 miles of temporary roads would be used for timber harvest 
activities. The majority of temporary roads would be constructed using 
existing forest nonsystem road prisms. All temporary roads would be 
obliterated after timber harvest use. All timber harvest related 
activities would occur from December 15th to April 1st to remove 
overwintering Douglas-fir beetle and minimize disturbance to grizzly 
bears.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by September 30, 2004. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected February 2005 and the final environmental impact statement is 
expected June 2005.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Centennial Salvage Timber Sale, c/o 
Tom Silvey, Ashton/Island Park Ranger District, P.O. Box 858, Ashton, 
Idaho 83420. Comments can also be electronically mailed (in Microsoft 
Word or .rtf format) to: [email protected].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Silvey, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, Ashton/Island Park Ranger District, P.O. Box 858, Ashton, Idaho 
83420. Telephone: (208) 652-7442.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Using information gathered from forest 
health specialists assessments, field and remote sensing 
reconnaissciance, and the Revised Forest Plan for the Targheee National 
Forest, Forest Service personnel found several concerns with the 
Douglas-fir, aspen, and whitebark pine forest community types. These 
included:
     Approximately 42% (12,659 acres) of the forested acres in 
the project area are moderately to highly susceptible to the Douglas-
fir beetle. Currently, within and around the project area, there is a 
Douglas-fir beetle and western spruce budworm epidemic. An examination 
of aerial flight and high resolution satellite imagery taken in 2003, 
identified approximately 2,200 acres of high mortality in the large 
mature Douglas-fir due to the Douglas-fir beetle. There is a high risk 
of losing substantial amounts

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of mature Douglas-fir stand and degrade them beyond the point of 
resiliency and sustainability within the project area.
     Aspen within the project area is declining due to the 
encroachment of conifers and lack of disturbances such as fire. This 
change reduces both plant and animal diversity.
     Whitebark pine is in decline within the project area. It 
has been identified as a community type at risk due to the devastating 
effects of white pine blister rust, mountain pine beetle, and 
competition from shade tolerant species such as subalpine fir and 
Engelmann spruce. The seeds of the whitebark pine are an important food 
source for the grizzly bear which is a primary concern within the 
project area.
    The Targhee Revised Forest Plan management prescriptions for the 
Centennial Salvage Timber Sale are: Management prescription 5.3.5 
Grizzly Bear Habitat, which emphasizes a high degree of security and 
resource conditions which contribute toward the recovery of the grizzly 
bear, and benefits to other wildlife; Management prescription 3.1.2 
Nonmotorized; and Management prescription 3.2(g) Semi-Primitive 
Motorized.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The purpose of the Centennial Salvage Timber Sale is to: Reduce the 
susceptibility and risk of forested vegetation to insects and disease, 
maintain and enhance aspen and whitebark pine forest communities, 
capture economic value from dead and dying trees, and provide a 
sustained yield of forest products from commercial forest lands.

Proposed Action

    The Ashton/Island Park Ranger District, Caribou-Targhee National 
Forest proposes to treat forested vegetation using timber harvest and 
prescribed fire to meet the purpose and need of the project. The 
proposed action includes:
     Use intermediate commercial treatments on approximately 
5,210 acres on forest stands that are primarily moderately to highly 
susceptible to the Douglas-fir beetle and western spruce budworm. 
Intermediate commercial treatments include the following silvicultural 
methods: commercial thinning, sanitation, salvage, and improvement 
cutting treatments. Majority of all commercial timber harvest 
activities would occur from December 15th to April 1st facilitate the 
removal of over-wintering Douglas-fir beetle and minimize disturbance 
to grizzly bear. Timber harvest would be accomplished by using ground 
based logging equipment (tractors, rubber tired skidders, low ground 
pressure equipment, etc.). No timber harvest activities are proposed in 
management prescriptions 3.1.2 and 3.2.(g) and Inventoried Roadless 
Areas.
     Use prescribed fire on approximately 718 acres to remove 
encroaching shade tolerant conifers and stimulate natural regeneration 
of whitebark pine and aspen. Majority of prescribed fire would take 
place in management prescriptions 3.1.2 and 3.2(g) with a minor amount 
of area in management prescription 5.3.5.
     Approximately 19.7 miles of existing Forest Service system 
roads and 38 miles of temporary roads would be used for timber harvest 
activities. The majority of temporary roads would be constructed using 
existing forest nonsystem road prisms. Timber harvest activity road use 
would occur from December 15th to April 1st. All temporary roads would 
be effectively closed to all motorized use from April 2nd to December 
14th. To effectively close roads, earthen berms, woody debris, and 
rocks would be used. All temporary roads would be obliterated after 
timber harvest use. Obliteration activities would include using earthen 
berms, ripping and seeding, and waterbars. Obliteration activities 
would occur during summer and fall seasons. All temporary road 
construction and system road use for timber harvest activities would 
occur in management prescription 5.3.5. No net increase in motorized 
travel miles is proposed. No temporary roads are proposed in 
Inventories Roadless Areas.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is Jerry B. Reese, Forest Supervisor, 
Caribou-Targhee National Forest, 1405 Hollipark Dr., Idaho Falls, Idaho 
83401.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The criteria for the decision to be made will be framed around the 
degree to which alternative selected best addresses the purpose and 
need. The decision will address: How to treat this proposed project 
area including: The location, project design, scheduling of the 
proposed activities, vegetation treatments, road use, and mitigation 
measures and monitoring requirements.

Scoping Process

    Initial public involvement will include mailing a project 
description and maps to interested parties to solicit comments on the 
proposal. No scoping meetings are planned at this time.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement. The Forest 
Service is seeking information and comments from Federal, State, and 
local agencies, as well as individuals and organizations that may be 
interested in, or affected by, the proposed action. The Forest Service 
invites written comments and suggestions on the issues related to the 
proposal and the area being analyzed.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for 
comment. The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement 
will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important 
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public 
participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of 
draft environmental impact statements must structure their 
participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is 
meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and 
contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 
553 (1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the 
draft environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised 
until after completion of the final environmental impact statement may 
be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 
1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 
F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, 
it is very important that those interested in this proposed action 
participate by the close of the 45 day comment period so that 
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest 
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to 
them in the final environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft 
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is 
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the 
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft 
environmental impact statement or the mertis of the

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alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may 
wish to refer to the council on Environmental Quality Regulations for 
implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental 
Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who 
comments, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21)

    Dated: August 31, 2004.
Jerry B. Reese,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 04-20367 Filed 9-8-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M